Had to DNF this one after the first quarter - couldn't get into it, but I had really wanted to. The pacing felt off and descriptions not quite right, and far too slow for me to feel any tension. I'll return to it eventually.

I DNF'd this at 26%. Although I was intrigued by the characters, the plot was moving too slowly for me and there wasn't enough mystery to keep my interest.

This started off so strong; a tale of a workplace relationship between two Black women in publishing. Teetering the line between friendship and rivalry. Then about 3/4 of the way through, Zakiya Dalila Harris loses interest and switches genres.

A psychological thriller toying with culturally Black paraphernalia. When discussing Black women in the workplace, our hair is the most topical, contested characteristic. Should we wear it straight or braided? Are locs deemed professional? Zakiya took those questions and ran with it, centring, demonising and weaponising Black hair.

This had the makings of an interesting plot, but with struggling execution and a somewhat late twist, it didn’t quite land.

What a fantastically written, thought-provoking and enthralling read?! I absolutely adored every single intense moment and would highly recommend to all readers who enjoy their thrillers with extra intelligence, social awareness and astute observations.

I delayed reading this because I sensed that it would be an intense read and I was not wrong! What a rollercoaster of tension this story was. The story was novel and the author did such a good job of building the suspense with the multiple narrators before bringing them together. However, it felt like the denouement and ending were a little rushed, particularly throughout the second half. I also felt as though the actual big reveal was quite vague and brief. It would have been more interesting to unpack the issue between Diana and the "Lead Conditioner" along with the idea that there is only space for one Black girl in these spaces. And there were times because of this vagueness, that you really had to work to fill in the holes and make the connections yourself. Finally, the switch from corporate thriller to almost a sci-fi type of genre was a bit jarring. But overall a riveting, bold and very discomfiting read.

A genre defying mind fuck!
If you are a fan of Get Out you'll love this.

A slow burn narrative with a creeping sense of unease, that only increases with every page you turn & the pay off is SO worth it

A gripping and thought-provoking read! The Other Black Girl masterfully blends social commentary with suspense, diving deep into workplace dynamics and the nuanced experiences of Black women in predominantly white spaces - in this case, publishing. Harris's sharp writing and unexpected twists kept me hooked till the very end. A must-read for fans of smart, socially aware thrillers!

There are spoilers in this review.

Ok, so I wanted to enjoy this book way more than I did. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the whole mind altering hair grease/other black girl thing wasn't in it at all and it was just a social commentary on how white publishing is and how just because 2 Black women work in a heavily white office doesn't mean they will immediately be on each others team. Or, if the mind altering hair grease was more sinister and a bigger part of the plot rather than just thrown in towards the end.

Despite Nella receiving threatening notes there was just no suspense or tension in this book. The gaps between the notes were too big. The extra POV’s were confusing and added little to the story. It just doesn't work.

I was left with a few unanswered questions. I'm still not 100% clear what the hell happened with Kendra, Diana and Richard and how/why Richard was involved in all this hair grease stuff!

This book was trying to be something and ended up as something not great which is such a shame. I was hoping the bad reviews were wrong on this one but no. How has this been picked up and made into a TV show. And why do I still want to watch it despite not loving the book!?

My favourite genre has changed and I’m not sure I will pick this up anymore. I’ve head great things about this.

Unfortunately, I dnf'd this one because I was struggling to like the characters and the pacing was far too slow to keep me engaged.

I was disappointed that I was unable to read this book before it got withdrawn by the publishers on Netgalley. None the less I have since then borrowed the book to read, sadly I was really disappointed. I couldn’t get into the story at all, so unfortunately it was a DNF for me.

The Other Black Girl, Zakiya Dalila Harris

Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of book publishing.

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and the micro-aggressions, she’s thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events cause Nella to become Public Enemy Number One and Hazel, the Office Darling.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.

It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realises that there is a lot more at stake than her career.

A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started this but it definitely surprised me. I found it a little bit hard to get into but I persevered. I wouldn’t exactly say it’s a thriller but there are definite moments of psychological horror as you read it. A slow burner but the last third really picked up. I liked it but there’s a lot to think about with this one.

This is not a very good book
The pacing in this is way off. It is very slow and repetitive in places
The ending was just ridiculous and totally unbelievable

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

"The Other Black Girl" is a timely and essential read that sheds light on the challenges faced by Black professionals in predominantly white workplaces. It invites readers to question their own roles and responsibilities in the fight against systemic racism and discrimination. Zakiya Dalila Harris has crafted a remarkable debut that combines social commentary, suspense, and a compelling narrative into a powerful and relevant story that will resonate with a broad audience. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of race, identity, and the quest for authenticity in the modern world.

2.5-3
The premise of The Other Black Girl and the thriller aspect and setting really intrigued me so I was excited to read. There were some interesting dynamics and important topics of discussion such as lack of diversity in the publishing sector, microaggressions and racism in the workplace, although sometimes they felt as if they never got delved into enough. I liked the writing style, but the other POVs felt disjointed within the overall story. Nella as a character was occasionally intriguing at times yet also infuriating. The pacing also made it difficult to be fully immersed and it took me a while to get into the story and once I did, the story was wrapping up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had been meaning to read this ever since it came out, but after finding out it had been turned into a TV show and was coming out really soon I knew I needed to get to it now, and I'm glad I did! I thought the concept of this sounded so unique, a really fresh take on the type of race-based thrillers that Get Out introduced so well, and I did really appreciate the length that Harris went to in trying to make it a wholly original story. However, I do think I enjoyed the first half of this more than the latter half, as the excitement I felt towards the tension and intrigue being built up ended up with me feeling more confused than anything else towards the end as all the double identities and false names all seemed to merge into one a bit. I'm not sure if the plot was overly ambitious, or if the eventual execution just fell a bit flat for me, but the grand reveal didn't satisfy me like I hoped it would.

Nella is the only Black person working in Wagner publishing house and she's sick of being the token person of colouring and dealing with the microaggressions she encounters every day. So she's delighted when new girl Hazel, a Black girl from Harlem, starts and they become friends. But soon Nella notices that Hazel is acting differently, and in ways is making Nella look bad and her job performance is suffering. As things get tenser, and creepier, can Nella figure out what' up with Hazel?

I liked the writing style of this book and the atmosphere that was slight intense, unsettling and creepy at times. The environment of Wagner was created really well I think, and learning more about the publishing world in many ways from difficult authors and temperamental cover artists was quite fun at times, as well as getting a look at what's like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white environment and how some people behave and the microaggressions she has to deal with and sometimes ignore for an easier time with her colleagues.

I do feel like so much of this story was build up, and when we really start figuring out what is happening, the book is already 90% finished so I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion feeling very rushed then, and then the epilogue was twisty and fun but also slightly depressing and not the ending I would have wanted for Nella obviously.

This was a really sharp and compelling read for the most part, but I did find it a bit slow through the middle section. I thought the interaction between Nella and Hazel was interesting and the way in which Hazel became the It Girl of the office left me feeling anxious. For me, the pacing was off a little bit, as the middle dragged somewhat and then the end happened at a breakneck pace, which didn't leave much time for the conclusion to settle. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and an impressive debut from an author that I will definitely look out for in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Other Black Girl is a thriller novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris that explores the experiences of a young black woman working in a publishing company. The novel follows Nella Rogers, who is the only black employee at Wagner Books. When Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside her, Nella is initially excited to have another black woman in the office. However, she soon starts to suspect that Hazel is not who she seems. The Other Black Girl is a well-written and suspenseful novel that explores the themes of race, workplace microaggressions, and gaslighting. I recommend.